The present invention relates generally to a photographic camera. More particularly,--but not necessarily--the invention relates to a miniature camera.
Stillmore particularly, the invention relates to a photographic camera having a lens (objective) and a separate viewer, as well as covers for protecting the lens and the viewer against damage or contamination when the camera is not in use.
A camera of this general type is known from German Pat. No. 1,170,240. In this camera, the front window or lens of the view finder is rigidly mounted in a film transport slide which can be moved laterally away from the housing and pushed back onto the housing. The film transport slide is provided with a cover located on an extension of the inlet window of the view finder. When the housing and the film transport slide are telescoped together, the cover on the slide is located in front of the lens of the camera, whereas the inlet window of the view finder together with portions of the cover is pushed behind the front wall of the camera which thus itself acts as a protective cover for the inlet window of the view finder. This arrangement is basically satisfactory, but can be used only if the view finder is provided in a slide that can be telescoped relative to the camera housing, and if additionally the axes of the view finder and of the camera lens are located in a plane which is approximately parallel to a camera surface.
A somewhat different proposal has been made in German allowed application A.S. No. 2,338,794 where again a slide is provided which can be telescoped relative to the camera housing. In its telescoped-together position, this slide serves as a cover both for the camera lens and for the inlet window of the view finder. Here, again, the limitation exists that the arrangement disclosed in this reference is suitable only for cameras having a slide that can be telescoped relative to the camera housing and wherein the axes of the camera lens and of the view finder are essentially located in a plane parallel to a camera surface.